"Thanks world, We'll take it from here."

That is the core message in a new advertising push starring Lionel Messi, Son Heung-min, David Beckham and other MLS players. The campaign targets fresh football supporters drawn in by the World Cup and encourages them to follow the domestic league.

The polished video highlights top talents already competing in the United States and offers free tickets to first-time spectators as the regular season restarts. League leaders see this moment as a prime opportunity to build lasting interest.

"The World Cup has now exposed millions of people to Major League Soccer," says MLS executive vice-president Dan Courtemanche, who has been with the league since its earliest days. "We're going to continue to capitalise on that momentum."

Could the tournament's long-term impact include MLS rising into the top tier of world football?

MLS itself traces its roots to the 1994 World Cup, when FIFA required the United States to launch a professional league as a condition of hosting. The competition began in 1996 with ten clubs and no dedicated venues. Three decades on, it features thirty teams and nearly as many soccer-specific stadiums.

Despite concerns over high ticket costs, venues sold out and television numbers proved strong, with enthusiasm spreading nationwide even after the host nation exited early. The United States loss to Belgium in the round of sixteen drew the largest audience for a single-network football broadcast in American history, exceeding 33 million viewers on Fox.

England's round-of-sixteen victory over Mexico set a new record with 45 million combined viewers across Fox and Telemundo. These figures rival regular NFL audiences yet remain below the Super Bowl, which attracted 127.7 million viewers in 2025.

MLS has grown steadily and now aims to match Europe's leading competitions in quality and prestige. Commissioner Don Garber noted at a recent league event that the circuit already ranks among the strongest commercially and must now improve on the field.

In several respects MLS already stands alongside global powers. Forty-five league players appeared at the 2026 World Cup, including two starters for champion Argentina. The old image of MLS as a retirement destination for aging stars is fading, with the average age of incoming international signings now 23.8 years.

To ease player movement, the league will shift to a summer-to-spring calendar in 2027. Every club also operates youth academies, and development programs continue to expand. At a recent LA Galaxy viewing party, children played pickup matches on nearby fields while adults watched the senior game.

Critics argue that high costs in youth travel teams still limit access for many families. League officials counter that academies provide scholarships and that pathways are steadily improving. Garber emphasized ongoing efforts to produce more elite domestic talent.

Star power remains a major asset. Messi drives attendance, while more than two dozen celebrities and athletes own stakes in clubs, among them Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Matthew McConaughey and Magic Johnson. Franchise values have risen sharply, with some clubs now worth over one billion dollars.

Yet many observers believe American football will always dominate the cultural landscape. Parents note that talented teenagers often switch sports when high-school football offers greater visibility and pageantry. Coach Michael Bradley of the New York Red Bulls acknowledges the nation's different sporting traditions but believes the World Cup has created a deeper sense of pride in soccer.

"We don't have the long, storied football history that other countries do," Bradley told the BBC. "I think we can all unequivocally say in 2026, football is not going anywhere."